Some know Natan Alterman as an Israeli poet, playwright, journalist and translator who deeply influenced socialist zionist politics. Others might know that his song "Kalaniot" served as a code to warn against British forces during the Mandate Period. But few know he brought the seeds of the marmande tomato to Israel, where it was the main species cultivated in the country until the 1960s. Host Marcela Sulak reads his poem, The Silver Platter, inspired by Chaim Weizmann's 1947 claim: "A state is not handed to a people on a silver platter." Text: The Modern Hebrew Poem Itself, Ed. Burnshaw, Carmi, etc. al. Music: Kalanyot – sung by Shoshana Damari, composed by Moshe Valensky The Never-ending Rendezvous – sung by Arik Einstein, composed by Neomi Shemer
Released:
Jul 16, 2014
Format:
Podcast episode
Titles in the series (100)
Exploring Israeli literature in English translation. Host Marcela Sulak takes you through Israel’s literary countryside, cityscapes, and psychological terrain, and the lives of the people who create it.
